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Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius (/ˈpriːəs/; Japanese:トヨタ プリウス Toyota Puriusu) is a full hybrid electric automobile developed by Toyota and manufactured by the company since 1997. Initially offered as a 4-door sedan, it has been produced only as a 4-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) rated the Prius as among the cleanest vehicles sold in the United States, based on smog-forming emissions.1 The 2018 model year Prius Eco ranks as the second most fuel efficient gasoline-powered car available in the US without plug-in capability, following the Hyundai Ioniq "Blue".23 The Prius first went on sale in Japan and other countries in 1997, and was available at all four Toyota Japan dealership chains, making it the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle.4 It was subsequently introduced worldwide in 2000.5 The Prius is sold in over 90 markets, with Japan and the United States being its largest markets.6 Global cumulative Prius liftback sales reached the milestone 1 million vehicle mark in May 2008,7 2 million in September 2010,8 and passed the 3 million mark in June 2013.9 Cumulative sales of one million were achieved in the U.S. by early April 2011,10 and Japan reached the 1 million mark in August 2011.11 As of January 2017, the Prius liftback is the world's top selling hybrid car with almost 4 million units sold.12 In 2011, Toyota expanded the Prius family to include the Prius v, an extended hatchback, and the Prius c, a subcompact hatchback. The production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid was released in 2012. The second generation of the plug-in variant, the Prius Prime, was released in the U.S. in November 2016.13 The Prime achieved the highest miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating in all-electric mode of any vehicle rated by EPA with an internal combustion engine.1415 Global sales of the Prius c variant passed the one million mark during the first half of 2015.16 The Prius family totaled global cumulative sales of 6.1 million units in January 2017, representing 61% of the 10 million hybrids sold worldwide by Toyota since 1997. First generation (XW10; 1997–2003) The Toyota Prius (XW10) is a subcompact hybrid car that was produced by Toyota between 1997 and 2003 in Japan. 2 The XW10 is divided into the NHW10 and its NHW11 counterpart, both of which represent the first generation of Prius series. The Toyota Prius is the first mass-produced hybrid car, and was released 2 years ahead of other manufacturers.3 While the NHW10 was available exclusively to Japan, it was subsequently introduced to worldwide markets in September 2000 with the NHW11. Toyota sold about 123,000 first generation Prius.4 Toyota's XW10 series Prius is notable as the first vehicle based on the Toyota MC platform. Planning and concept On January 16, 1992, the Toyota Motor Corporation announced the Earth Charter, a document outlining goals to develop and market low emission vehicles. In September 1993, Toyota R&D Executive Vice President Yoshirio Kimbara created G21, a committee to research cars for the 21st century. On February 1, 1994, the first official meeting of the G21 project team took place. The team determined the goal of G21 is to create a car that is resource and environmentally friendly while retaining the benefits of modern cars. The development effort was led by Takehisa Yaegashi, who was tasked with building a car that bridged the gap between electric and gasoline powered vehicles. In 1994, Toyota executive Takeshi Uchiyamada was given the task of creating a new car that would be both fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. In late 1994, the G21 team designed a concept car with a hybrid engine for the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle was named "Prius," the Latin word for "prior" or "before." It was shown on October 27, 1995. In late 1996, test driving began. After reviewing over 100 hybrid designs, the engineering team ultimately settled on a continuously variable transmission (CVT) design based largely on a 2000 TRW patent application, but many technical and engineering problems had to be solved within the three years that the team was given to bring the car to the Japanese market, a goal they barely achieved as the first Prius went on sale in December 1997. One major problem was the longevity of the battery, which needed to last between 7 and 10 years. The solution the engineers came up with was to keep the battery pack between 60% and 40% charged, proving to be the "sweet spot" for extending the battery life to roughly that of the other car components.8 A Toyota spokesperson stated that "Toyota chose this name because the Prius vehicle is the predecessor of cars to come."9 Market The XW10 was initially manufactured at the Takaoka plant, but would later be moved to the Motomachi plant in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan.1 Domestic launch model The first Prius, model NHW10, went on sale on December 10, 1997.1011 It was available only in Japan, though it has been imported privately to at least the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.12 Many of these cars are now being exported as second-hand vehicles to New Zealand and other countries.13 In New Zealand, there is report that high voltage battery failures are common among grey imports of the NHW10, which are not supported by official distributors outside Japan. To handle the voltage between the battery and electric motor, the semiconductor core inverter unit was modeled on heavy-duty transistors used by the Shinkansen bullet train.5 The first production model NHW10 Toyota Prius was rolled out of Toyota's Takoka factory in Toyota City, Aichi near Nagoya on December 1997, followed by the start of two years of Japan-only sales. Export model The 2001–2003 model year Prius for the United States market (NHW11) was powered by a 1.5 liter Atkinson cycle 4 cylinder15 gasoline engine, a permanent magnet AC electric motor, and a 274-volt nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack. The gasoline engine developed 70 hp (52 kW) and 82 ft⋅lbf (111 N⋅m) of torque. The electric motor generated a maximum of 44 hp (33 kW) and 258 ft⋅lbf (350 N⋅m) of torque. The NHW11 Prius became more powerful partly to satisfy the higher speeds and longer distances that North Americans drive.16 Air conditioning was standard equipment.17 The vehicle was the second mass-produced hybrid on the American market, after the two-seat Honda Insight.18 While the larger Prius could seat five, its battery pack restricted cargo space. The vehicle interior featured a dash-mounted shift lever, and a small touch screen with a hybrid powertrain display. This feature showed the vehicle operation regarding the interplay between gasoline engine, battery pack, and electric motors, and could also show a bar graph of fuel economy results.18 In the United States, the NHW11 was the first Prius to be sold.19 The Prius was marketed between the smaller Echo and the larger Corolla. The published retail price of the car was US$19,995.20 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) classified the car as a Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).21 At one time, Prius owners were eligible for up to a US$2,000 tax deduction from their gross income.18 In contrast with the prior NHW10 model, Toyota executives claimed that the company broke even financially on sales of the NHW11 Prius.18 European sales began in September 2000.22 The official launch of the Prius in Australia occurred in 2001 after the 2001 Sydney Motor Show,23 although sales were slow until the NHW20 model arrived. In 2006, Toyota recalled about 8,500 2001 and 2002 model year Prius vehicles because of an incorrectly manufactured crankshaft position sensor.24 In 2009, after being investigated by the California Air Resources Board, Toyota extended a campaign nationwide for owners of MY 2001–2003 Prius for starting problems caused by improper working throttle body that led to electronic control module malfunction.25 Fuel consumption United States In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test results must be posted on new vehicle windows, and are the only fuel consumption figures that can be advertised. The following are current official EPA figures for the 2001-2003 model years, based on its 2008 restructuring of fuel economy tests:26 42 mpg‑US (5.6 L/100 km; 50 mpg‑imp) city driving 41 mpg‑US (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg‑imp) highway driving 41 mpg‑US (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg‑imp) combined Original listed figures on new vehicle windows, based on pre-2008 testing procedures, for 2001-2003 model years were: 52 mpg‑US (4.5 L/100 km; 62 mpg‑imp) city driving 45 mpg‑US (5.2 L/100 km; 54 mpg‑imp) highway driving 48 mpg‑US (4.9 L/100 km; 58 mpg‑imp) combined Awards 1997–98 Car of the Year Japan27 2003 Scientific American names Toyota Motor Corporation as "Business Leader of the Year" ("Scientific American 50"; December, 2003) for its singular accomplishment in the commercialization of affordable hybrid cars. Second Generation (XW20; 2003–2009) Category:Hybrid Cars Category:Toyota Category:Still in production Category:Made in Japan